INSTALL A FIREWALL
ONE MORE THING TO PROTECT YOUR COMPUTER....activate or install a firewall! You can purchase firewall protection (protects your computer from attacks over the internet) from many places all over the internet...you can probably even find some free at download.com. Windows users can activate their pre-installed firewall by going to the Start Menu-->Settings-->Control Panel-->Network Settings. Depending on how your computer is set up, you might have a different way of getting to the Control Panel. You should see your internet service provider (i.e. AOL, NetZero, Comcast, etc.) Right-click on your internet service provider (ISP) and click on "Properties." Click on the "Advanced" tab and check the box that says "Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet." Then click "OK" and you're good to go. You might need to be disconnected from the internet in order to access the properties of your ISP.